Lazarus Van Zandt
Lazarus Van Zandt is a frontiersman and guide from the colony of Cyren. One of the most veteran scouts in the AEF, he served through both Bush Wars before retiring in 1739. Having spent equal time among both the Halta-Banu tribes, and among the Cyrenic colonists, Lazarus is a well-known face on the jungle trails. Early Life (1698-1714) Lazarus was born on a small religious community in the mountains east of Cyren. The community was known as the Society of All-Believers, an obscure Devonian offshoot. The Society had no clergy, and preached an inward relationship with the Maker. Men and women were equal, and they were strictly pacifist. His father, a former sailor in the Dorminian Navy, married into the community sometime in the late 1680s. He had two older brothers, Gideon and Elcid, as well as an older sister, Patience. The community, called Sharp Point, grew tobacco in order to keep trade up with neighboring villages and towns. Lazarus worked the fields as a child, though he hated the work. He much preferred the musical lessons given by his grandmother. A stout woman named Eleanor Whitelock, she had been an opera singer in her youth, before moving to Sharp Point for health reasons. She felt that her grandchildren needed skills beyond simple farming. Lazarus proved to be an extremely capable violinist, becoming handy in the instrument by age 12. In 1709, after a string of poor harvests, the able men of the village left to seek work elsewhere. Left behind were the children, the women, and the elders of the community. Lazarus' father and brothers both left to find work at the Cyrenic port. During this time, a variety of roughnecks try to intimidate the women into vacating that land. They claimed to be Gilatrian miners, wanting to stake a claim. First they offered cash. When that didn’t work, the threats began. Dead animals, gunshots, vandalism. Women were harassed, children were beat. This went on for many months. Finally, in the winter of 1710, Lazarus retaliated. Using his father's hunting musket, he attempted to threaten the roughnecks into leaving. The musket discharged, and the ball passed through one of the roughneck's lungs. This was a substantial enough gesture to keep the alleged miners away. The elders of the community did not see the events as young Lazarus did. To their eyes, Lazarus attacked and killed the outsider. Precedent was very clear as to how to proceed. Lazarus was to be exiled from the community, never to return. He was given the same rifle he used in his “attack”, both as a reminder of his "sin" and as a means of providing for himself. His grandmother also gave the young Lazarus an old violin, advising him to find the college in Cyren. Following this, Lazarus wandered for the next year before arriving in Cyren for the first time. He searched the docks for his brothers and father, but could not find them. Without money, he began busking on the street for coppers or food. Following a routine "purge" by the Cyrenic Guard, Lazarus was thrown into prison for a short time. After a few months, his sentence time was "sold" to a merchant company that needed extra hands for their sea-vessels. Lazarus sailed around the countries of Mascron and Briece before returning home in May of 1714. After a brief period of rest, he signed on as a guard for a trade caravan heading down to the legendary city of Sangaan. Life As A Trapper and Scout (1714-1721) The caravan left July of 1714. The hope was that the journey would allow them to enjoy the winter in Sangaan before journeying back north. The expedition started off well-enough, however after a month of travel, the caravan was lost in the jungle. Lazarus departed from the caravan, hoping to find help in Sangaan. The outcome of this is Lazarus wandering through the jungle for 4 weeks, barely surviving. Eventually, a Halta-Banu hunter finds him barely conscious in a clearing. The hunter took the boy back to his own home, a small village on the outskirts of Sangaan. His family nursed Van Zandt back to health. The hunter, named Jama, welcomed Lazarus to his home. Over the next year, Jama taught Lazarus how to hunt and survive in the jungle. Lazarus became a common feature in Sangaan, selling pelts and translating between the colonists and Natives. On a number of occasions, he assisted in the repelling of attacks by Kwa and Kru natives. He was noted for his ability to sneak up and ambush the tribals before they even made it to the city. He had a small relationship with a Sangaani woman named Ixtab during this time, though it lasted only a year or so. In late August 1720, Lazarus began a journey north to Cyren. His rifle had broken, and thus his ability to make a livelihood was in jeopardy. After several months, he finally arrived in Cyren. He found a replacement rife, an old big-bore breechloader. While attempting to make ends meet, he found work as a musician in a cabaret club. There he met a cabaret dancer named Susanna, with whom he began a relationship. Seeking a more stable income, in 1721 he enlisted in the AEF, where his years as a hunter proved extremely useful. In September of that year, Lazarus and Susanna were wed. Their first child, Eleanor, was born the following year in May. Lazarus took well to the grueling training at Simbak-Sun. After serving through the minimum five years, Lazarus kept on with the AEF. He seemed to quickly be becoming prime officer material, if a little rough around the edges. After serving the mandatory five years, he took a small sabbatical to revisit Sangaan. It was here that he made the acquaintance of one Daniel Krüger. The First Bush War (1726-1730) Lazarus arrived back at Simbak-Sun two months after the attack on New Albertsville. Quickly assigned to a platoon as a Sergeant, he was sent back into the field. Lazarus was one of the defenders at Simbak-Sun in 1727. A bullet grazed his right thigh, though he was overall unscathed. His next major bit of action was at Evelyn Falls, where he was among the retreating forces. During the "siege" of Xhona Valley, he proved to be a semi-capable leader. Having managed to acquire an old cracked guitar, he would play music in between artillery barrages. After the Varenthian's retreated from Xhona Valley, Lazarus was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He led his squad well in engagements near Lake Listen. He was present at the battle of Little Hill, where he was wounded early on. This would mark his last bit of action during the war. He was rotated back to Simbak-Sun, where he served as a drill instructor for the remainder of the war. Between the Wars (1730-1736) After the end of the first Bush War, Lazarus was promoted to an officer's position. Whilst going through his officer's training, he aptitude for surviving in the jungle, as well as his familiarity with the Alkeban natives made him an obvious choice to be inducted into the famous AEF Scout Brigade. For his education, he attended the Cyrenic Institute for Academical Sciences and studied the ethnic traditions of the Alkeban natives. He made a particular emphasis on their music. Along with this, he became the first chair violinist in the school's orchestra, and played all throughout his time at the college. In November of 1730, his son Jeremiah was born. In 1734, Lazarus graduated with the rank of Major. The family moved to a modest plot of land on the outskirts of Cyren. Lazarus did his best to make the land productive, though he famously refused to grow tobacco. The Major instead opted to use the land as a vineyard, even creating his own wine. Under pressure from his wife, Lazarus joined His Majesty's Royal Sporting Lodge, though he was rarely invited to hunts. During the Varenthian attack on Cyren, Lazarus was a part of Krüger's defense in the Tavern District. During the battle, Lazarus was wounded in the head. The bullet entered in his right temple and slid along his skull, exiting at the back of his head. Lazarus would remain unconscious for the next month. When he awoke, doctors were worried that he was no longer fit for duty. However, after another month he was declared fit for action. Second Bush War (1736-1738) Two weeks after waking from his coma, Lazarus was moved back into active duty. He saw extensive duty along the border to New Varenth. His company saw most of their action in disrupting supply lines to the main part of New Varenth. Lazarus was shocked by the news of the occupation. The death of the various officers led to Lazarus being one of the few scout officers left. He became the lead Scout field commander, and quickly showed his aptitude for the new war the AEF was fighting. His ability to wage war in the jungle made him an important tool in the AEF's fight against New Varenth. As the war continued, Lazarus became increasingly bold. He began taking greater and greater risks, and while he never had any significant loss, the possibility of one worried those in the higher command. It was reported by both sides that he employed tactics used by the Kwa and Kru tribes to the south. On more than one occasion he left collections of fingers, taken from deceased New Varenth soldiers, to be found by Varenthian patrols. His behavior was only the faintest hint of barbaric, however his company proved to valuable and effective to disrupt. A major event is what was known as the "Great Train Robbery." The act was an unsanctioned journey into New Varenth, for the purposes of stopping a train loaded with enemy munitions and bound for the front line. Only a few of his soldiers were wounded in the attempt, and Lazarus got away with most of the munitions. Lazarus was brought before a court martial, however ultimately no punishment was given. His he helped give fire support during the retaking of Simbak-Sun, in August. He was among the first AEF soldiers to make their way into the Cyren during the Reclamation. As the war wound down, Lazarus was allowed a small amount of leave time. He made his way to his small homestead outside of Cyren. There he found charred fields, and his wife barely clinging to life. She had a bullet lodged in her stomach. Lazarus sent for a doctor for Cyren. His wife would ultimately pull through, however her health would never fully recover. Lazarus would eventually send her and his children to live with his sister in Briece. Post-war Life (1738-Present) After the Second Bush War, Lazarus stayed on as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the AEF for a short period of time. However, after only a year, he made a voluntary retirement. His personality clashed with the upper command, comprised largely of nobles and rich men. He quietly removed himself from the Cyrenic city life, retreating to his homestead on the edge of the jungle. Around this time, his wife passed. He brought her body back from Briece, and buried her at his home. His children elected to stay in Briece, they felt Alkebu was too dangerous. However, he kept in contact with them through steady correspondence in the form of letters. A handful of times he would venture to Briece to visit them. He traveled to across the Alkeban desert, all the way to Mascron. Most of his time is spent in Sangaan, the great city that he calls his "true home." Occasional ventures to Cyren are uncommon, and he has seemingly kept his membership with His Majesty’s Grand Sporting Lodge.